Winfield scott tuenee



(No Model.)

W. S. TURNER.

EXPANSION JOINT y'POR GAS PIPBS. No. 323,834. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

, y i W7/M i E W NITED lSTATES PATENT OEEICE.

WINEIELD sooTT TURNER, or PITTSBURG, rENNsYLvANIA,AssiGNoE E ONE-HALE To ELY wrcoEE, oE sAME PLAGE.

' XPANSlON-JOINT FOR GAS-PIPES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 323,834. dated August 4, 1885.

Application filed May 9, 1885.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WINEIELD SCOTT TUR- NER, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Expansion-Joints for Gas-Pipes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in expansion-joints for gas-pipes, and has for its object to remedy the evil effects which result from the uneven expansion and contraction of the pipes after they have been joined and laid in the ground. This evil is especially notice# z 5 able when gaspipes are used for the conduction and distribution of natural gas, because this gas comes from the earth in an intensely cold condition, and when itis introducedinto freshly laid and connected pipes often causes the latter to contract and break. This has been the cause of a number of destructive accidents which have occurred in those places where natural gas is in common use. The gas escaping from the broken pipe permeates the surrounding soil and enters the cellars of buildings, where it may soon collect in quantity sufficient to produce an explosion. The manner in which inventors have been laboring to avoid these dangers has been principally to render the joints more secure; but while this is desirable and necessary, it cannot overcome the evils of expansion; nor do any of the so-called expansion-joints known to me perfectly meet the requirements of the art.

I will now describe my improvement more particularly,with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifica tion, in which- A 4o Figure l is a plan view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a single joint.

Like figures and letters indicate like parts.

In the drawings, 2 represents a gaspipe of the kind usuallylaid in underground trenches and used for the distribution and conduction of gas in cities. These pipes are often of great continuous length,and are therefore subject to considerable extension and contraction 5o by heat and cold. To compensate for this vmains themselves.

(No model.)

the pipe is provided with T or elbow joints a and b', from which a short connecting-pipe, 4, leads to a second connecting-pipe, 5, being joined to the latter by the elbow-joints a and b. The pipe 5 is attached by elbow-joints a2 b2 to a gas-service pipe, 7, which is a continuation of the main pipe 2. The connections between the elbow-joints a and b, a and b', and a2 and b2 are made so that each may turn upon its axis after the manner of a swivel. This is done by screw-threading the adjacent parts and thus uniting them, or by connecting them by a loose sleeve without screw-threading, as at 3, 6, and 8. The consequence is, that the pipes 2 and 7 may be made to approach or recede from each other, just as the two end pieces of a double-jointed carpenters rule may be moved when arranged parallel with each other. The purpose of the joint at 8 is to allow these pipes to approach in right lines. If it were not there, although they would move longitudinally and turn the joints 3 and 6, that longitudinal movement would also cause them to partake of a swinging sidewise motion, which might prove injurious to the pipes and detract from the benefits of my improved system. When, however, the connection of the pipe 5 with the pipe 7 is swiveljointed, so as to be capable of rotation on an axis inclined to the axis of the pipes, this side motion is taken up completely by the several joints, and thepipes 7 and 2 suffered to move in perfectly right lines. In order that these joints should act more perfectly, the parts 3, 4, 65, and 8 should be inclosed in a box, which will give them space to move with freedom.

In the description above given it has been supposed that the pipe 2is closed just beyond the joint 3', and that the pipe 7 is a simple continuation ofthe former. In such case j oints like those shown maybe arranged in boxes along the line at suitable intervals; but it is clear that instead of laying the pipe 7 parallel with 2, it may be at a right angle or any other angle therewith, and will in the latter cases act with even greater ease. The consequence is, that my improved joints may be used for branch service-pipes from mains as well as on the This will be clear if the roo pipe 2 be conceived extended, as shown inl dotted lines in Fig. l, and the pipe 7 a branch pipe laid at right angles to the pipe 2.

rlhus constructed,when my system of pipes 5 is' laid underground and the cold gas introduced, the pipes in shortening will turn the joints 3, 6, and S, and cause the connectingpipes 4 and 5 to diverge sufficiently to coinpensate for the lessened length. If the gas be turned off, the returning heat will expand the pipes and return the swivel-joints into their original positions. The force of contracting and expanding iron is very great, quite great enough to allow the swivel-joints 3, 6, and Sto be screw-threaded, so thatleakage at the joints may be easily prevented. It will be found preferable in such case to make the direction of the screw-threads such that the iniiow of gas and contraction of the pipes will tighten the joints. They will thus be rendered tighter after use than when first laid.

Fig. 3 illustrates the swivel-joints preferably used by me at the places 3, (i, and S, heilig specially designed to prevent leaks. a and b are two parts which form one ofthe vertical legs of the elbow connecting the pipes 2 and 4, 5 and 4, or and 7. These pipes are niortised into each other and provided with right-hand screw-threads c, by which they are screwed together, as in Fig. 3. The outside periphery of one of the sections is threaded with a righthand screw-thread, as at d, while the other section,c,is similarly provided with a left-hand thread at e. Over these threaded parts of the sections a I) is screwed asleeve, f, of ordinary construction. On one of the sections, c, just back of the end of the sleeve e, is made an an nular bead or projection, h, whose exterior is screw-threaded to the left, and screwed theret o 1s a sleeve, z', which extends over the sleeve j, and at the end thereof, on the section b, is provided with an annular foot, which is adapted to rest upon the periphery of section b of the joint. Suitable packing and washers are interposed between the ends of the part-s a b at Zand o, between the end of the sleevef and the bead IL at p, and at m between the sleeve and the foot k. An annular washer, n, is preferably arranged in a recess in the inqo ternal periphery of the parts ab and over the joint between their ends.

The parts thus constructed are united and tightened in the way shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. It will be noticed from inspection oi" this iigure that if the parts a and b be turned in one direction (say to the left) their ends will be tightened against the packing-rings Z and o, and the bead h likewise tightened upon the annulus p. If the direction of the parts 6o be reversed, it is clear that thc foot 7c will be drawn against the packing-ring m, while the other packings will be slightly loosened. In the application of this joint to the expansion device before described it is so arranged that contraction of the pipes may turn the parts a and b to the direction whereby the several washers maybe tightened. The number of washers and sleeves makes this joint practically gas-tight and does away with all serious danger of leakage, while at the same time it can be turned readily enough for purposes of a rotary expansion-joint.

It will be of course understood that the directions of the threads on the joints just described may be reversed and the saine ei't'ect produced.

I do not desire to claim, broadly, gas-pipes hinged or pivoted so as to be connected by an extensionjoint.

What I claim as my invention, and desire o to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

l. In a gascOnduit, as a device for taking up expansion and contraction of two connected gas-pipes without breaking connection between the two, the combination of the said 85 pipes and a connecting-pipe joined to each of said gas-pipes by joints which are capable of turning on axes situate on a di t'ferent plane than the axes of the gas-pipes, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a gasconduit, as a device for taking up expansion and contraction of two connected gaspipes without breaking connection between the two, the combination of the said pipes and several connecting-pipes joined to the gaspipes and to cach other by joints capable of turning on axes situate on a different plane than the axes of the gas-pipes, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. As a rotatory joint for gas-pipes, the mo combination of a sleeve, f, screwing upon an exterior right-hand thread on one of two adjacent sections of pipe and upon a left-hand thread upon the other section, a bead or stop,

h, on one of the sections, c, an exterior sleeve 105 screw-threaded so as to screw upon said bead,

and provided with a foot, 7c, which rests upon the other section, b, outside of the sleeve f, said sections heilig screwed together with a right-hand screw-thread, and washers for inrio terposing between the ends of said pipe-sections and between the bead and foot and the sleeve f, substantiall y as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 115 my hand this 4th day of May, A. D. 1885.

VINFIELD SCOTT TURNER.

W'itliesses:

Tnoanis W. BAkEwnLL, XV. B. (lloi'awrN. 

